Busted
by lm2329
Summary: Shawn Spencer is discovered to be a fraud! What will happen when he's found out, arrested by Juliet and Lassiter, and dragged into the Chief's office? Drama, Shules, some funnier moments here and there.
1. Chapter 1

Karen Vick loved her job. The civic duties that embodied fighting crime were values that she had cherished since she used to watch old reruns of Dragnet with her father. That had happened by accident really - she had started watching television late at night with dear old Dad as an excuse to stay up. And Vick Sr. only stayed up to watch Dragnet. Sure it was a little hokey, but there was something about Joe Friday that captured her attention. Maybe it was how he interrogated his suspects or how he expertly wielded his Tommy gun. Who was she kidding...she knew what kept her watching that show night after night, long after her father had dozed off in his easy chair. It was how Joe Friday brought countless criminals to merciless justice. The power that he possessed, the fear she could see in their eyes - she couldn't help but eventually succumb to the temptation that was the police academy.

Unlike the black and white of the earlier Dragnet episodes, life as a police officer was anything but. How many times had she sequestered crooked cops to be questioned by internal affairs? How often did she meet criminals whose she sympathized with, knowing that if she were in a similar situation, she may not act so differently? She learned to roll with the punches though, despite her growing suspicion of the goodness in her fellow man, and proved herself enough to lead the motley crew that was the SBPD. She thought she had met her share of weirdo and crazies on the force.

And then she met Shawn Spencer.

Turning the page of her People magazine that lay among an ever growing pile of neglected paperwork on her desk, she considered the so called psychic. Good thing his father came in and vouched for him, she mused. Or else there was no way she was believing that load of crap. But, the only thing that mattered to her were results. And results is what Shawn Spencer delivered. So, she'd keep him around as long as she could.

As the door to her office swung open loudly, starling her enough to spill her mid-afternoon green tea and soy milk delight all over her favorite magazine, she would soon realize that keeping Psychic Spencer around for much longer was probably out of the question.

She looked up to see her best and brightest storm hotly through the door. Juliet was first, a bold look on her face. Immediately behind her was Lassiter, roughly handling a handcuffed and surprised looking Shawn Spencer by the collar. Buzz and Gus were in tow, both looking equally confused.

Karen could not stop looking at Juliet, however. Her features were stern and unmoving, save her jaw that clenched before she spoke. A little too unnerving for even the Interim Chief.

"Chief," Juliet began, "We have reason to suspect Mr. Spencer's validity as a psychic."

"Oh, come on Jules," Shawn retorted, forcing a laugh while at the same time grimacing against Lassiter's painful grip. "I'm sure it was real fun arresting me at the Psych office this morning but really, if you wanted to do some role-playing, you could have just told me." He turned to Karen. "Chief, this is just one big misunderstanding."

Karen was visibly taken aback. She looked at Shawn, who appeared cool under fire as normal, but there seemed to be something amiss in his eyes. Could this be true? Shawn Spencer - not a psychic? She turned back to Juliet, who continued to look enraged. Her eyes were narrowed and her arms were crossed in front of her chest. Of all people, why was his girlfriend turning him in? Unless, Karen realized, he hadn't told her in the first place.

She sighed and absently wondered if Joe Friday ever had to deal with this kind of shit before.


	2. Chapter 2

"I...I'm sorry, what is going on here?" Karen looked around, brow furrowed in obvious annoyance. She turned to Juliet, who was standing to the right of Shawn. "Explain."

"Chief, Mahoney and Smith were conducting a routine surveillance of the downtown area last night and happened to overhear Mr. Spencer and Mr. Guster outside of Madison's on State Street." Shawn noticeably winced when Juliet referred to him by his last name. "Since they were wearing the regulation recording devices for such a surveillance, the conversation has been recorded for your convenience."

Juliet reached into her pocket and retrieved a small tape player. She placed the machine on Karen's desk and pressed the Play button. From the look on Shawn's face, Karen knew that she didn't have to listen to know what the conversation would imply.

Background noise - muffled voices, glasses clinking, silverware moving across plates.

A loud crash, followed by a round of scattered applause and a woman voice's distinctive above the rest that asked, "Are you alright?"

"Holy shit! Gus, did you see that guy bite it? An 8 overall, good form, but he botched the landing. Might want to slow down on those wine coolers there buddy."

Shawn's voice was hollow, intertwined with static that often plagued the outdated recording equipment of the SBPD. Gus laughed at his comment.

"Shawn, this place is always crowded! If you want to just grab a drink let's head to Dargan's instead."

"Eh, yeah, you're right. I mean, look at that bouncer...I don't think my "Hey, I'm a Psychic, isn't' that cool? So, let me cut the line" card is going to work tonight."

"Seriously. You know Shawn, this psychic thing...you're never going to be able to keep this up forever."

"Gus, come on, the only way anyone would ever think I wasn't a psychic is if I told them."

"I know Shawn, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. One of these days they are going to put two and two together and get four, you know what I'm saying?"

"Gus, what is it with you? This is the third time today you've told me this! Don't be a timid porcupine, no one is going to pick up on it."

"What about Juliet?"

A pause. "What about her?"

"Well, are you going to tell her? She is your girlfriend, you know."

Another pause, this one longer. An incoherent reply, and then the tape stopped.

Well, there goes their cover, Karen thought. Judging from their facial expressions, Lassiter and Buzz were clueless about Shawn and Juliet. If anyone did know about the couple, they probably found out by accident, just like Karen had one Saturday morning a few months back. Deciding that she needed some time to herself, she left her husband alone with their child and headed to West Beach. She parked in a nearby lot and made her way behind the maritime museum and some nearby buildings that ran along the less populated portion of the shoreline. She continued walking until she closed in on her favorite lookout area - a narrow cement corridor along the water, elevated above the beach. It was tall enough to see out towards the ocean, but still short enough to be victim to the spray of large waves that often crashed the side of it. The path led to a small piece of land no more than 50 yards long and half as wide, which curved inland and faced the Santa Barbara shoreline and pier.

Lucky for her she had spotted them from afar, just near the start of the walkway. Even with her optometrist's warnings of her failing eyesight, she could still make out a certain psychic gesturing histrionically as the wide-eyed junior detective listened with rapt attention. Apparently he delivered his punch line, and the blond laughed heartily, leaning back against the cement railing and holding her sides while she tried to catch her breath. After she calmed down, he leaned into her with a familiar ease and kissed her, slowly and gently, as she curved her fingers in his belt loops and tugged him closer.

Karen knew she should turn around and leave, but she couldn't look away. They reminded her of how she and her husband were, once. Eventually she did leave and never divulged her presence that day to either of them.

That memory dissolved quickly as a motion out of her peripheral vision brought her back to the present. Behind Lassiter's shoulder she could see a small crowd gathering outside her office to see the show. She turned to look at Shawn. He wilted under her stare, peered over to Gus, who looked as if he may grace his shoes with his breakfast, and then turned back at Karen. He flashed her his megawatt smile and forced a laugh.

"Come on Chief, we don't really need to do this, do we? I mean, after all we've be-"

"Mr. Spencer, is that you and Mr. Guster on this tape?"

Shawn said nothing. Lassiter pushed him from behind and demanded through clenched teeth, "Answer her, liar."

"Dude, take it easy!"

"Mr. Spencer, please answer the question."

"Don't say anything Shawn," Gus advised, "This is the time you might want to ask for a lawyer."

Lassiter glared at Gus. "Why don't you let your little faker friend try to get himself out of this?"

"Detective, that's enough."

"Fine, Chief, but do you want Spencer to continue his little charade and the mockery that he's making of our entire department? He's got to be stopped NOW."

"Shawn, don't say anything!"

"Mr. Spencer, if you refuse to answer the question, our detectives will take the liberty of subjecting you to a lie detector test, as well as running the tape through our voice identification system. And I will remind you as I did once before, if this is a hoax, we will prosecute."

"Fine, do whatever you want, I don't care."

"Shawn!"

The back and forth went on for the next minute, Gus pleading with Shawn to stop talking and Lassiter arguing with Karen about how soon Shawn could be forcibly moved to a holding cell. Buzz continued to look confused and watched the verbal melee as if following a tennis match. Shawn had fallen silent, much to Gus's relief, and had taken a strong interest in the colorful glass paperweight on Karen's desk. All the while Juliet stared at Shawn, her eyes fixed on him the moment the tape stopped playing.

It all happened rather quickly after that.

Juliet deftly removed the gun out of her holster and aimed it squarely at Shawn's temple. Everyone immediately stopped talking and stared at Juliet. The volume of noise outside the office vanished into thin air, intensifying the silence. Shawn's eyes widened when he felt the end of the chamber against his head, but they remained focused on the paperweight.

"O'Hara..." Karen warned.

"Shawn," Juliet said in a very calm, but forced tone. "Answer the question."

"Jules, please li-"

She cocked the gun. "Now Shawn."


	3. Chapter 3

Shawn sighed and closed his eyes. The chamber was cool against his skin, a temperature that he associated with a crisp bite into a ripe pineapple, not as a manifestation of his girlfriend's anger.

How did I get here? He pondered. How did it come to this?

His thoughts took him back to the previous night. It was just a simple conversation between friends...

"Well, are you going to tell her? She is your girlfriend, you know."

Shawn swallowed thickly and jammed his hands in his pockets. "Come on, let's go," he mumbled.

He moved fast through the thinning crowd, dodging drunken revelers who stumbled as they tried to stay upright on the sidewalk. Gus jogged to keep up with Shawn's quick stride. "Shawn, you didn't answer my question." Shawn continued to walk in silence. Gus grabbed Shawn's arm and held him, causing the psychic to stumble a bit. "Shawn, come on!"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't want to talk about it?"

Shawn turned and faced his friend. "Did I stutter?"

Gus's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to let that one go Shawn."

"Whatever."

Shawn wrangled himself from Gus's grasp and continued walking down State Street.

You're scared, aren't you." Gus stated, rather than asked.

Shawn immediately turned around and walked back to Gus, his tone confrontational. "What did you just say?"

Gus did not hesitate under Shawn's piercing glare. "I said, you're scardey Shawny, aren't you?" Gus knew that Jimmy Nickel's schoolyard name for Shawn would not go unnoticed, especially in the southern drawl that helped immortalize it for the last half of their fifth grade year.

"Gus, what do you want from me?"

"I want you to admit that you're scared of telling Juliet."

"And why would I be scared of telling her?"

"Because you're scared she's going to leave you."

Shawn blinked and stared at his friend, backing down a little.

Gus noticed the slight change in demeanor and smirked. "Oh MAN! Who would have thought that Shawn Spencer, self proclaimed ladies man, would fall under the feminine wiles of none other than SBPD's finest."

"Oh Gus, please."

"How long has it been, like, a year now? I think that might be 12 months longer than your last relationship."

"Very funny, Gus," Shawn laughed, dismissing Gus's comment with a wave of his hand.

But Gus wasn't convinced. He had seen Shawn fake a lot of things undercover...his name, his accent, physical ailments, among others. Usually a fake laugh was involved, especially if they were talking to a woman. So, Gus was pretty certain that last laugh was forced. In fact, Gus had observed a change in the fake psychic ever since the sensitive topic was breached. Except for his last gesture, Shawn kept his hands in his pockets and his shoulders were slightly hunched. His voice was not as strong and convincing as it usually was. The confident swagger than defined Shawn Spencer had abandoned him.

"Wow Shawn..." Gus said, tone more serious than before. "You've really--"

"Gus," Shawn began, as if explaining a complicated concept to a five year old, "You know that if I told Juliet, she would be obligated to tell the police." Shawn leaned in so close to Gus that the other man stepped back in discomfort. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

"I don't think you're an idiot Shawn--"

"Then what is it with the interrogation, dude! I thought we were going out to get a drink and freaking relax!"

"Shawn--"

A group of loud partiers sauntered by them and caught Shawn and Gus's attention briefly. A young woman in the group stumbled hard into Shawn and, through bleary eyes and sporadic hiccups, loudly giggled to a male friend that dragged her away, "But he totally just appeared out of NOWHERE!"

Shawn chuckled and turned back to his friend. "Come on Gus," he said, a quirky smile hesitantly rising to his lips that belied the internal conflict so clearly expressed in his eyes.

Gus instantly caught that. No way after over two decades of friendship was he going to let that one slip by him.

He decided to go out on a limb. "You...you're in love with her."

Shawn's smile faded.

"Jesus Shawn. It's true, isn't it?"

Shawn didn't respond for close to a minute, instead choosing to look down at this black and white converse. He then raked a hand through his hair and said with a seriousness that had even his best friend reeling, "Gus...I have no idea what I'm going to do.

"But whatever," he said, swagger back in full force. "I'm sure I'll figure something out."


	4. Chapter 4

Shawn's thoughts vanished as he returned to his nightmarish present. He only had a few seconds to think before answering Karen's question.

What was he going to do?

Okay, he said to himself. How many times have you gotten yourself out of jams like this?

His lightening fast mind reasoned through a few possible explanations.

Option 1. He could claim that it wasn't him and the tape was a fraud. Perfectly plausible notion that he and Gus had made more than a few enemies while solving crimes for the SBPD. Actually, they had just wrapped up a case a few months back that linked directly to organized crime in and around the Santa Barbara area. Who knew if the mob had a vendetta against the duo? And what better way to ensure that Shawn and Gus would never help the police again?

But, there were a lot of people out last night, not to mention Mahoney and Smith performing the surveillance. Too many witnesses who could positively ID them and perhaps had overheard their conversation. Not good.

Okay, option 2. He had deliberately confessed because he suspected he was being overheard, but had not known it was the police.

Well, that was a more substantial excuse. But, for what purpose would he be targeted where it would make sense for him to confess to not being psychic? He couldn't think of one quickly enough that would convince the police, let alone a judge and jury if it came to it. So, the only good it would accomplish would be to damage his and the police's reputation. Made no sense, really.

Alrighty...option 3. He was just joking with Gus the whole time.

There it is. Just a meaningless prank! They knew how much he teased Gus and cajoled him into believing all sorts of tall tales. Yes, that was the answer!

"Chief, come on, yes, it was me on the tape, but I was just teasing Gus the whole time! And did you hear him, he totally bought it!" He looked over at his friend who furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "I mean, come on, how could I possibly have had all of you fooled for this long? You are all way better detectives than that!"

Karen raised her eyebrows, impressed with the young man in front of her. Very smooth, Mr. Spencer, she thought, making us think we would be stupid to think you weren't psychic.

"Mr. Spencer," she started, "You are telling me that you were just joking with Mr. Guster yesterday evening?"

Shawn nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, totally kidding!"

Karen turned to Gus. "Mr. Guster," she began. "You had no idea Mr. Spencer was not a psychic until he spoke to you about it yesterday evening?"

Gus gulped, but did not respond.

"Come on Gus," Lassiter urged.

"You don't have to answer to me if you don't want, Mr. Guster," Karen said, "but if you don't, you will answer to our lie detector tests."

Fuck, Shawn thought. He wasn't exactly sure how to beat lie detector tests, although he had his own theories. But Gus...? Shawn knew his friend would be too nervous on that machine to make any attempt to outwit it. And once he had answered incorrectly about the night before, the real questions would come out...How long have you know Mr.Spencer was not a psychic...Does his father know that he's not a --

Oh no. He had completely forgotten about his father.

Shawn imagined his father had signed some sort of legal affirmation declaring Shawn's psychic abilities. If that were the case, a poor result from Gus's lie detector test could fuel a strong case for perjury, as well as reason to submit both Spencer men to the test. If they both failed, they all go to jail.

The thought of Gus and his father in prison because of him sickened Shawn.

But...if he confessed now, he could absolve Gus and his father of any collaboration. He would just have to hope that the police would not suspect and go after them later.

Shawn was quickly running out of options. There didn't seem to be much choice for him but to confess before Gus said anything else. The possibility of Gus or his father bearing the consequences of his lie was too much for Shawn to imagine. Hopefully, with his confession, he would be the only one arrested and indicted for criminal charges.

And also, he thought, he wouldn't have to lie to Juliet anymore.

As Karen opened her mouth to speak again Shawn said, "Chief, let me." The room fell silent.

He closed his eyes and resigned to his fate. "Okay. Alright. That was me and Gus on the tape."

He opened his eyes and turned towards Juliet, hazel not wavering from blue when he said, "No...I'm not psychic." 


	5. Chapter 5

"No...I'm not psychic."

Shawn's words hung thickly in the air. Lassiter's grip tightened and Buzz gasped audibly behind him.

Shawn turned to Karen. "Gus had no idea, I only told him a few days ago. My father doesn't know either," continued Shawn, shamefully thinking of how his father had vouched for his abilities after the McCallum murders. "I've had him duped for years. Please don't implicate them in any of this...it would be a waste of your time."

Nervously, he turned back to Juliet.

Her face was nothing like he had ever seen before. Her blue eyes, normally innocent and playful, were dark and piercing. Her lips were tightly closed, and her breath was coming out harshly through her nose. The gun in her hand, like her arms, was shaking slightly, but still aimed at Shawn. A redness started to form at the base of her neck and crept up to her face and her eyes began to sparkle. She seemed in a trance.

Lassiter continued his strong hold on Shawn, only a few feet away from Juliet. Because of this nearness, Lassiter was able to lean closer to the young blonde. "Detective," Lassiter began. She made no indication that she had heard him. "Juliet," he tried, and this time his voice shook Juliet out of her reverie. Her eyes darted to him. He spoke, not in his usual gruff manner, but like a concerned older brother who imparts wisdom onto a younger sister. "Think of your badge. Think of you career Juliet. He's not worth it."

After few more shaky seconds, she cleared her throat and began to collect herself. The trembling stopped, her face relaxed, and the redness began to clear. She turned to Shawn again and he noticed her eyes looked the same - he felt like they were pinning him up against a wall. She uncocked her weapon and replaced it in her holster.

"Chief," Juliet began, turning towards Karen, fingers brushing back a few stray strands behind her ear, her tone nothing but the professional calm her own partner often envied. "I suggest we read Mr. Spencer his rights and put him into custody."

"Agreed, detective," Karen said as she motioned to Lassiter who already had his handcuffs out.

"You have the right to remain silent..." Lassiter began.

"No, Chief, please..." Shawn said, trying to free himself. "I can explain..."

"Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law..."

"No, wait, you have to listen to me," Shawn demanded louder and more urgently.  
"You have the right to an attorney..."

"I don't want a fucking attorney!" Shawn yelled defiantly and began to struggle harder against Lassiter, who held his grip tight.

"Chief," Juliet said, "Permission to leave?"

"Not before you hand over your gun and badge, Detective."

Juliet stood motionless.

"Now, detective."

Juliet did as she was ordered, placing her gun and badge softly onto Karen's desk.

"Go." Karen waved her off. "You're suspended until further notice."

Juliet stiffened while she listened to her punishment. "But when is--?"

"Out, O'Hara!"

Mustering up her dignity, she turned quickly on her heels and marched towards the door.

Shawn stopped his struggling to watch Juliet leave. She didn't even look back in his direction. "Jules," he said. "Stop, no wait...Jules...Jules!" Juliet walked out of the office and headed to the front door of the station.

Shawn resumed his escape attempt. "Get off of me!" In response, Lassiter nodded to Buzz for assistance.

"Mr. Spencer, please calm down."

"No, I will not calm down, I need to talk to Jules now, so let me go!"

Karen looked over at Gus, a silent plea to calm down his friend.

Gus stood there, watching Shawn struggle against Lassiter, and remembered the day's events. It started with this morning's unwelcome visit from the SBPD, to his and Shawn's arrest, and finally to Shawn's confession and inevitable fall from grace.

While the day's events proved more exciting as each hour passed, it was the most recent one that had caught Burton Guster by the most surprise.

It was how quickly Shawn confessed and kept his father and Gus out of it.

Clearly, Gus understood that the charade was, first and foremost, Shawn's idea, so of course Shawn was ultimately to blame.

However, Gus could not count how many times Shawn had dragged him into whatever sort of trouble was around the corner, as best friends often do. Gus knew that Shawn usually threw himself in these situations with a plan already hatched or with enough confidence that his improvisational skills would save the day.

But this time was different. This time Shawn was very quick and deliberate to keep Gus and his father as far away from trouble as possible.

So, the meaning of this spoke to Gus loud and clear. Shawn felt defeated and was pretty certain he would not be able to talk his way out of this one.

Understanding the expression on Karen's face and looking over at his best friend's plight, Gus already knew what he was going to do. He had to give Shawn a few moments to talk to Juliet. He guessed Shawn would only have a few minutes to reason with her before being arrested, but Gus decided it would be worth it. In a move reminiscent of his former days as a high school linebacker, he swiftly ran past Buzz and launched himself towards Shawn and Lassiter, tackling them both to the ground and taking a nearby potted plant down with them. The three men landed ungracefully onto the floor, Gus's arms having successfully clotheslined the two other men. Dirt and fern leaves scattered on and around them and a large portion of potted soil settled nicely on Lassiter's head.

Karen and Buzz stood in stunned shock, as did the rest of the station just outside the office. If the situation was not in such dire straights, Karen would have considered the take down of her head detective hilarious. She looked on as the three men slowly moved to get up, Buzz extending a hand to Lassiter. Shawn stood first, took in a strained breath and held his side gingerly. Gus and Lassiter remained prostate on the floor.

"Gus, what the-"

"Shawn, GO!" Gus extended his arm upward, hand balled into a fist.

Realization dawning on his face, Shawn did not need to be told twice. Bumping Gus's first with his own and yelling out a "thanks buddy!", he quickly fled the office, weaved though the crowd of cops and staff, and ran outside after Juliet.

"Dammit, Gus!" Lassiter stood up and cleaned off his blazer. "So help me I will detain you for assault against a police officer and aiding and abetting!" Buzz came over to help him, but he pushed the younger man away proudly. He straightened his tie and regained his composure as Buzz sulked nearby in rejection. "Now I have to go and get him myself," he growled, walking out of the office.

"Detective."

Lassiter turned around from the office entranceway. "What."

Karen hesitated, considering the situation. She had just suspended one of her best detectives. Her best police consultant would soon be under arrest for fraud. Her other best detective had succumbed to the spontaneous attacks of a fiery pharmaceutical salesman. And...her office was a mess.

But the way she saw it was a bit more sentimental than that. From her vantage point, Gus had given Shawn a chance to get the girl back.

She did not know where it came from, whether it was too many flighty comedies with her girlfriends or the resurfacing, albeit dwindling, desires she had of her own failing marriage. But inside, Karen was a hopeless romantic.

"Carlton...why don't you wait a few seconds before going after him."

"WHAT?" Lassiter bellowed. "He just told us he's not psychic. NOT. PSYCHIC. That means he's been lying to us for, I don't know, 4 years?" He punctuated his tirade with wild movements of his arms, reminding Karen of one of Shawn's many "visions". "He's a fraud! And you're letting him get away?"

"Detective, he's just going to the parking lot for Christ's sakes."

"You are not seriously letting him figure out his love life instead of upholding the law! We need to get him into custody immediately! What if he's deciding to leave the state right now?"

"DETECTIVE!" Karen yelled viciously, startling all three men as Gus came to stand. "If I may remind you, both you and Detective O'Hara brought Mr. Spencer and Mr. Guster to the station, so he's not going to hop on his bike and leave. I think it's safe to say that the only way he's leaving the parking lot is with Mr. Guster or O'Hara." Karen leaned over her desk and spoke her next words slower and more deliberately. "Considering Mr. Guster is here with us, If you don't find him in the parking lot, it won't take a psychic to figure out where he's going. I think the person you should be worrying about is your partner."

A few moments of shocked silence hung in the air.

"Now...go get him."

With that, she excused the stunned trio out of her office. 


	6. Chapter 6

Shawn ran outside of the main entrance of the police station and hung a right. He knew that Juliet usually parked in the larger parking lot a bit farther in the back so that she would have a nice walk to her desk in the morning. Lucky for me she does that, thought Shawn. She would have driven off a lot sooner if she had parked any closer.

He caught sight of her as soon as he rounded the corner and raced to catch up with her.

Juliet walked quickly towards her car, trying her best to fight back the tears that were begging to spill on her cheeks. She was at work for god's sake, she thought, no need to make a scene. She fumbled in her purse, almost tripping over her feet in the process. Where the hell were her keys?

"Jules!" Shawn called to her. What is he doing out here? Juliet wondered. Wasn't Lassiter arresting him before the Chief unceremoniously threw me out on my ass? Hearing his voice made her walk much faster and concentrate harder on her task. I need to buy a bigger purse, she bemused. Where are my freaking keys?

"Jules, stop." Shawn had caught up to her by this time. He reached out to her, but she shrugged him off.

"Don't touch me Shawn."

"Jules, please, let me explain."

"Let you explain?" Juliet whirled around to face him, her hand still rummaging in her purse. Maybe she left them at her desk? "What explaining do you have to do? You're a fake. You had everyone convinced for quite a while, Shawn, and congratulations for that, a job very well done." She finally felt the cold metal of her car key and yanked them out, along with most of the contents of her purse.

Blowing the hair our of her eyes exasperatedly, she knelt to collect her belongings. Shawn squatted down as well but Juliet swatted away his hands.

"I didn't intend for any of this to happen-"

"None of it? Really? Give me a break Shawn. How can I even believe anything you say now? You've obviously lied about everything else."

"Not everything Jules."

"Yes, everything Shawn." She wasn't sure if she was talking about him being psychic, their relationship, or both. "If you weren't serious about any of this, why didn't you say so in the first place? What kind of person does that?" She opened her purse as wide as it was able to and began ungracefully shoving things back in. Shawn noticed that she deliberately left one item on the concrete - the necklace he had given her for their one year anniversary.

She stood up quickly as her chin began to tremble. She couldn't let him get away with this, she knew that, but she could feel her determination starting to crumble. She noticed that Shawn grabbed the necklace and shoved it quickly in his pocket. He then stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. This time, Juliet did not shrug them off.

"Juliet, please."

She looked away from him and closed her eyes, allowing a few tears to fall.

"My feelings for you...I wasn't lying about those."

This isn't happening...he's not a fake...no, please...let this be a dream...

After a few moments Juliet opened her eyes and a flurry of color caught her attention Over Shawn's shoulder, she noticed Lassiter and Buzz walking quickly in her direction. Lassiter's face was unusually ferocious. Seeing her partner's anger filled face and remembering his choice words in the Chief's office only a few minutes earlier fueled her resolve. She looked back at Shawn, her chin set and her eyes darkly purposeful.

"Bullshit," she spat at him.

Shawn swallowed.

"Shawn," Juliet began, her confidence returning, "it's clear that our relationship is based solely on your attempt to extend your facade for as long as possible. It makes sense that I would not suspect your lies if we were romantically involved. And what better person to be on your side than a fellow officer of the law."

"Jules, I have wanted to tell you ever since we started dating. I just...I didn't know how to do it."

"Oh please." She rolled her eyes, turned her back to him, and opened her car door. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? I've heard that one too." She lowered herself into the driver's seat.

"Jules, please," Shawn begged. "Let's go somewhere quiet, you and me...give me a chance to explain..."

"Have fun in jail Shawn."

Juliet slammed the door, almost clipping Shawn's fingertips that were resting on the doorframe.

As the officers closed in on their target, Lassiter with handcuffs at the ready in his hand, Shawn could only watch as Juliet quickly reversed out of her parking spot and sped toward the exit. 


	7. Chapter 7

A poker table.

His father's to be exact.

Shawn realized that the table in the interrogation room, the smell of it, the coolness of its breath against his forehead, reminded him of his father's poker table that used to live in the basement.

That's where Shawn first learned to play poker, contrary to his father's belief that he had learned it at the police station. Sometimes Shawn would creep through the doorway left ajar by one of the officers who carelessly kept the door open after heading to the kitchen for another beer. Finding his way down the stairs as quietly as he could (luckily the stairway was at the other side of the basement), he would steal to his hiding place behind the boxes of Christmas ornaments and lights and watch for about fifteen minutes, thirty if he dared, and even longer if the party looked drunk enough to conveniently ignore blurry visions out of their peripheral.

The day after the game, Shawn would come to the basement in the daytime and sit where his father sat, recounting the memory of the previous evening. As he played the game in his mind like a movie, he would lay his head on the table, breathing in the scent of the cheap poker table, tainted with whiskey and cigarettes and stale popcorn.

Yes, the table in the interrogation room reminded Shawn precisely of his father's poker table. How did his father get an interrogation room table from the station, Shawn absently wondered.

Or, even more creepy...did his father donate the old poker table to the station?

Shawn realized that he would not put the generous act past his duty ridden father.

Closing his eyes, Shawn wished that he were back in the basement instead of where he was now. Instead of having to watch Juliet drive away from him while Lassiter roughly slapped a pair of handcuffs on his hands and dragged him back to the station. Instead of having to be lead through the precinct, dozens of judging eyes following his every step to the interrogation room. Instead of having Lassiter push him into the room, throw him into the chair, and slap him on the backside of the head so hard Shawn tipped forward far enough to bang his forehead on the table. That's when Lassiter growled to him that he would return momentarily to ask a few questions.

Shawn remained, forehead still resting on the table, only the sound of Buzz's light breathing and the tick of his watch keeping him company.

There weren't many times in Shawn's life where he had been scared. Sure, that one time at the Mexican border, although he would never admit it to Gus. A couple of times when he had been held at gunpoint, but he figured he would be smart enough to talk his way out of it, and he did. And a couple of times when his parents would fight long after they thought he was already asleep.

Now, Shawn was scared, although he would never show it. This wasn't the first time in his life that he didn't know what was going to happen next. But this was definitely the first time that he didn't know...and didn't want to know.

He was scared about what was going to happen to him. And he was scared that they might go after Gus...and after his father...and then maybe even Juliet...

_No...Jules...please...I'm so sorry...I'll do an--_

"SPENCER!"

A loud bang followed the call and Shawn's head shot up, causing him a slight case of vertigo in the process. Lassiter was leaning over the table, right hand where he had slapped it against the table only a moment before. He pushed away from the table and walked towards the window, still in front of Shawn's view. "Wake up Spencer. This isn't a dream."

"Seriously, Lassie, is that how you are going to start this line of questioning? Wake up? On the contrary I'm falling asleep from your verbal lullaby."

"Shut up." Lassiter walked towards Shawn and pointed an index finger towards him. It hovered only inches from the fake psychic's eyes. A smile played on the officer's lips. "You fucked up last night." A slight pause from Lassiter, which Shawn assumed was for dramatic effect. "It's over."

Shawn remained silent.

"Oh, cat got your tongue now? Shawn Spencer is actually speechless?" Lassiter smiled broadly now, sitting on the table and folding his hands in his lap.

Shawn signed. "What am I doing here Lassie," he said, sounding apathetic. "I thought you were arresting me and throwing me in jail."

"Oh, I am," Lassiter assured him. "I just wanted to take a little detour."

He smiled venomously and said, "I really wanted to tell you how...well, how much I'm going to enjoy putting you away." He shrugged his shoulders happily.

Shawn's jaw twitched.

"I mean, just imagine it. You. In jail. At the mercy of any and every prisoner on your cell block." The Irishman chuckled lightly and sighed pleasantly. "Not sure if makeup is your forte, Spencer, but you've been a pretty good actor so far. Can't hurt to give it a go. Maybe they'll make a mockery of you, like you did with us."

Leaning into the younger man, Lassiter continued in a quieter tone, "And maybe you'll feel the same way that Juliet does now."

At that comment, Shawn violently thrashed in his seat, but could hardly move against the tight restraints on this wrists and ankles. Only his shoulders and head had freedom to lash about. He grimaced as he struggled to free himself, lifting his chair as much as an inch off of the ground at one point, causing Buzz to rush over and grip the back of the chair, halting Shawn's progress.

"You asshole!"

"All is fair in love and war, right? Isn't that way they say, Spencer? Well, two can play at that game."

Lassiter stood up from the table and motioned to Buzz. "Get him out of that chair ."


End file.
